By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Orlando Pirates have announced that assistant coach Mandla Ncikazi will step into the interim head coach role for the remainder of the current season.
This development follows the surprising news earlier this week that head coach Jose Riveiro requested an early release from his contract, which was originally set to expire on June 30th.
Pirates confirmed the change in leadership, stating that Ncikazi will be supported by Head Performance Analyst Rayaan Jacobs and the existing technical and support team.
Ncikazi arrived at the Soweto giants in June 2021 on a three-year deal after a successful stint as head coach of Golden Arrows, where he led the KwaZulu-Natal club to a commendable fourth-place finish in the preceding season.
In a statement released by the club, Pirates Chairman Dr. Irvin Khoza said, “Jose approached us a few weeks ago with a request to be released from his contract ahead of schedule, having signed with a new club.
Given the timing—amidst a series of crucial fixtures—we believed it was best to delay this announcement until after the Nedbank Cup final. His contribution since joining the club has been immense.
We learned a lot from him, and he learned a lot from us. While we would have preferred to formally honour him with a proper send-off, we fully respect his decision to depart before the end of his tenure.”
This unexpected shift in leadership comes at a critical juncture in the season, and all eyes will be on Ncikazi as he aims to guide the team through their final fixtures.